Drawing from South Africa's experiences with water security and a contracting industrial market has fostered innovative approaches to water challenges. An integrated water treatment strategy, incorporating chemicals, process technologies, equipment, and operational principles linked to performance metrics, has been developed in this demanding environment.

In recent years, the South African industrial market has increasingly focused on core competencies due to a constrained market. This shift has created a knowledge gap in water-related skills, causing service delivery failures both internally and externally.

By applying fundamental chemical engineering principles, such as conducting a standard water balance and superimposing salt balances or addressing bottlenecks in water-related processes, complex water challenges can be effectively managed.

This discussion highlighted case studies, including a novel ion exchange regeneration process that recycles NaCl and addresses an environmental discharge that threatened a plant shutdown; a water-stressed site that recycles cooling tower blowdown, reducing water intake while enhancing cooling tower performance; and isolating a process stream within a complex plant to recover valuable dissolved minerals, with water as a by-product, achieving an 18-month payback for the client.

About the Speaker

Rinesh Jivanji

CEO

Watercare Innovations

Rinesh Jivanji is the CEO of Watercare Innovations, a leading company in water treatment solutions in South Africa. With over 17 years of experience in the industry, Rinesh has a strong background in feasibility, design, and implementation of industrial water treatment solutions, focusing on generating tangible returns for customers. He holds an MBA as well as an MSc in Chemical Engineering and has previously worked in Research Assistant at TU Delft. Rinesh has recently relocated to Houston and is spearheading business development efforts in the Western US, driving growth and innovation in the water treatment sector.